QUETT KETUMILE JONI MASIREVERY BRAVE OR VERY FOOLISH : MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN DEMOCRATGABORONE, MACMILLAN BOTSWANA PUBLISHING COMPANY 2006 9991240438 / 9789991240435 Paperback The memoirs of Sir KETUMILE MASIRE may be the best handbook available on how one builds a democratic nation and an economy that benefits the vast majority of its citizens. When its leaders asked for independence from Great Britain, hey were told that they were either very brave or very foolish to do so. 40 years later, Botswana has achieved what most thought was impossible. A vibrant multi-party and nonracial democracy, with one of the world's fastest rate of economic growth and the very low levels of corruption. Sir Ketumile was at the centre of this success, starting in 1961, with his election to the first Legislative Council. In 1962 he joined the late Sir Keretse Khama, Botswana's first president in founding the Botswana Democratic party and leading it to victory in four national elections. As Minister of Finance and Development Planning, he was the chief architects and the general manager of Botswana's economic success, succeeding Sir Seretse as president in 1980. He led the party to three more election victories before his retirement in 1998 when he handed over to his constitutional successor Festus Mogae. A self-described reluctant politician, his first love has always been farming. He brought the commonsense and experience of farming in a drought-prone country to bear on economic and social policy choices and in building the political system. He gives a frank account of how and why he and his colleagues made their choices, a candid admission of several failures, and comments on a number of leading political personalities.